... in Las Vegas over the Christmas holiday, and for the first time ever I managed to not go to any buffets. Imagine that! It wasn't by choice or anything-- I happen to like Vegas buffets. A lot. But this time around due to various reasons, I did the restaurant thing instead.
For one of those nights, we went to Rosemary's, about 15 minutes west of the Strip on Sahara. I'm not gonna go into a lot of detail about this place except to say that I last came here a few years ago and was dying to go back. It's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, and that's saying a lot. At $55 for the Pre Fix dinner (not including some really nice coupons that can be found in several places on the internet), it's a pretty good deal for a night of fancy restaurant dining. We're talking the whole 9 yards with impeccable service by an army of servers, and very good French inspired American food.
The place I do want to talk about is called the Oyster Bar, found in Palace Station casino, which is just west of the 15 on Sahara. They serve up Cajun-Creole seafood stews, jambalaya, and gumbo.
The restaurant itself is simply a long counter in the shape of a half circle that seats about 18 people at a time. It literally opens up out onto the main casino floor. Behind the counter are 6 interesting looking little kettles that are permanently affixed to a pipe where hot steam runs to heat the bottom of each pot. The chefs prepare your order right in front of you in these steam kettles. The whole experience reminded me of a sushi bar.
But before you can sit down at the counter, you have to wait in line. From what I can tell, there's *always* a line during lunch and dinner. The wait can be as long as an hour if you come at peak times. I think it's a telling sign that everybody I stood in line with was a Las Vegas local. They all rave about this place and come here as often as they can manage. The dude in front of me moved to Vegas 10 days ago, came to Palace Station for a job interview, and stopped here to have a salad and clam chowder. Suffice it to say he couldn't wait to come back for a proper meal, and even spent over an hour that evening on a local bus to come back here for dinner. The local couple behind me said that a place like Palace Station didn't deserve a restaurant that made food this good. When you come here, be aware that the seating is first come first serve. So if you have a large group, you may just want to split into smaller groups in order to get seated instead of waiting for an entire row of 6 seats or whatever to open up.
Once you get to the counter, the whole experience is pretty leisurely. What can you expect with up to 18 people to serve and only 6 pots? I ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell to pass the time. These fat little guys were pried open in front of you and served on ice with a red chili sauce and horseradish. Yummy.
As for the entrees, here is the menu:
As you can see, most of the dishes are made in a tomato based seafood broth. The Pan Roasts are made with a tomato cream stock, which make them a little heavier. The husband of the local couple I was talking about earlier has been getting the same thing for the past 10 years, so I figured I should try the crab meat pan roast too. The wife swears by the Bouillabaisse, which I'll definitely try next time. If you've ever gone to a restaurant and ordered seafood, got your dish, and wondered where all the seafood went... the Oyster Bar is not one of those places. My bowl was chock full of real crab meat. Every other dish I watched our chef prepare was also laden with seafood.
You can have the spice level made to order too. I had the medium, which I thought was perfect. But for those of you who prefer to breathe fire, that can be arranged too. No Americanization of spice levels here.
My crab pan roast was sooo satisfying. After the stew is poured from the kettle into your big bowl, the chef tops it off with a large scoop of rice to soak up all the goodness. It is truly a perfect dish for a cold winter's night in Vegas. Mouthfuls of Cajun spiced crab with every spoonful. It was heavenly.
Finally, I have to mention the portions. If it weren't for the fact that I hadn't eaten all day, there was no way I could have finished the 6 oysters, the pan roast, and the beer I ordered. Two people could easily share any of the entrees. In fact, I think a dozen oysters, one entrée, and drinks is the perfect amount of food for two people.
The next time y'all go to Vegas, check this place out. You won't be disappointed! :)
Monday, December 29, 2008
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